Firearms Access among Pediatric Patients at Risk for Suicide

Abstract

Background

Approximately 2,900 youth who die by suicide each year in the United States use a firearm. To inform lethal means safety counseling efforts, this study aimed to describe firearm access among youth deemed at risk for suicide in pediatric medical settings.

Methods

Youth who presented to one of four urban pediatric medical centers were screened for suicide risk and access to firearms. Suicide risk was determined by a positive screen on the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ) tool. Firearm access was assessed via a structured questionnaire.

Results

This secondary analysis analyzed data from 1065 youth aged 10 to 17 years. Overall, 110 (10.3%) participants screened positive for suicide risk. Among those at risk, 28% (31/110) reported guns kept in or around their home, 8% (9/110) had access to a firearm, and 5% (6/110) reported that bullets were not stored separately from the guns.

Conclusions

Over a quarter of youth at risk for suicide reported a firearm stored in or around their home. To ensure the safety of young people at risk for suicide, clinicians should assess whether youth have access to firearms and conduct lethal means safety counseling with youths, as developmentally appropriate, and their parent/caregivers.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 28% of pediatric patients deemed “at risk” for suicide in this study reported a firearm kept in or around their home.

• Among youth at risk for suicide, 8% reported having access to a firearm.

• These results add further evidence that it is important for clinicians to conduct lethal means safety counseling with patients and their families.

Keywords:

• Firearms
• suicide risk
• youth

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Due to the nature of this research, participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health [Annual Report Number ZIAMH002922]. Dr. Bridge was supported by institutional research funds from The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, CDC grant R01 CE-002129, and NIMH grants K01 MH-69948 and R01 MH-93552. Dr. Wharff was supported by institutional research funds from the Program for Patient Safety and Quality at Boston Children’s Hospital. Dr. Stanley was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Mental Health [T32MH019836].

Notes on contributors

Nathan J. Lowry

Nathan J. Lowry, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Ian H. Stanley

Ian H. Stanley, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA. Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.

Annabelle M. Mournet

Annabelle M. Mournet, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Elizabeth A. Wharff

Elizabeth A. Wharff, Emergency Psychiatry Service, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Shayla A. Sullivant

Shayla A. Sullivant, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Health, Children’s Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, and University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine.

Stephen J. Teach

Stephen J. Teach, Division of Emergency Medicine, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC, USA. Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Maryland Pao

Maryland Pao, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Lisa M. Horowitz

Lisa M. Horowitz, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Jeffrey A. Bridge

Jeffrey A. Bridge, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.